In this episode, Emma and Talia dive into the real stories behind money mindset, the challenges freelancers face with budgeting, and practical tips for feeling more confident about your cash. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your freelance business, you'll find plenty of relatable moments, laughs, and actionable advice. Grab a cuppa and tune in for a conversation that'll leave you feeling empowered and ready to tackle your money goals!

Talia Loderick is a Money Coach, based in Cardiff, Wales, UK. Talia calls her money coaching practice TLC because when she realised the acronym for Tender Loving Care also stands for Talia Loderick Coaching, she almost swooned with joy. Because who doesn't need a dose of TLC from time to time? Rhetorical question – we all do. Talia offers 121 coaching designed to help people understand and take control of their behaviour with money. Talia delivers financial wellbeing sessions for teams, organisations and community groups because, well, we're never done learning. Talia writes a money column for The Independent newspaper. Connect with Talia! LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | Newsletter

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In the first episode of 2026, I discuss a reflective approach to setting personal and professional goals for the new year on The Freelancers Tea Break. I share my achievements from the previous year, including completing my ILM 7 diploma and writing a book titled 'The Freelance Lifestyle.' This episode emphasises an experimental and low-pressure strategy for goal setting, focusing on starting or stopping small habits, doing less of certain activities, and introducing more positive ones. I also tease upcoming episodes and January challenges, targeting areas such as finding new clients and improving digital presence.

Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to The Freelancers Tea Break 2026 01:17 Reflecting on Personal Achievements 02:54 Exciting Announcements for January 04:13 Gentle Questions for the New Year 04:26 Experimenting with New Habits 09:47 Community Engagement and Challenges 11:58 Looking Ahead: Upcoming Episodes and Goals

Affiliate link for In Good Company who I completed my diploma with and their podcast The Coaching Crowd

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Hello and welcome to a special episode of The Freelancers Tea Break! I'm Emma Cossey, and as this is our last podcast episode of the year, I'm doing things a bit differently. Today, I'm conducting my own annual performance review as a freelancer. From attendance and punctuality to goals, organisation, and communication, join me as I reflect on the past year, celebrate achievements, and identify areas for improvement.

My affiliate link to Sunsama

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:10 - Attendance and Punctuality 04:30 - Reviewing Goals 07:50 - Organisation and Systems 11:00 - Communication 15:00 - Focus and Productivity 19:20 - Collaboration 21:10 - Financial Performance 24:00 - Strengths and Areas for Improvement 29:00 - Conclusion

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In this episode of The Freelancers Tea Break, Emma Cossey, a coach and mentor for freelancers, discusses the importance of reflecting on and celebrating freelance wins. She categorises these wins into three main areas: boundary wins, skills and growth wins, and client and money wins.

Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to The Freelancers Tea Break 00:20 Reflecting on the Year: Wins and Challenges 00:54 Celebrating Small Wins 01:55 Boundary Wins: Setting Limits for Success 04:07 Skills and Growth Wins: Learning and Improving 06:05 Client and Money Wins: Tangible Successes 08:28 Challenge: Recognise Your Wins 09:25 Conclusion and Encouragement

My Sort your Freelance Pension Course

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Welcome back to the Freelancer Tea Break! I'm Emma Cossey, your coach and mentor for freelancers. In this short episode, I share some essential admin tasks to wrap up the year and start January clearheaded.

Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Freelancer Tea Break 00:38 Review Your Invoices 01:38 Update Your Out of Office 02:56 Review Your Terms and Conditions 03:53 Analyse Your Client List 04:54 Check and Adjust Your Rates 06:06 End the Year on a Positive Note 06:39 Conclusion and Farewell

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Freelancing can get lonely, especially as the days get darker. This week, I'm sharing simple ways to stay connected, even if you're an introvert who loves working from the sofa (hi 👋).

• Try relaxed networking (like netwalking or coffee meetups)
• Explore local coworking spaces or apps like Reef
• Arrange casual coffee catch-ups
• Join online freelance communities (like my Facebook & Discord groups!)

Just because you work alone doesn't mean you have to feel alone 💕

Networking and Co-working mentioned:

• Berkshire Mummies Networking
• My Little Boardroom
• Reef App

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This week on The Freelancer's Tea Break, I'm tackling a surprisingly common dilemma: If a client wants you to use specific software, who should foot the bill?

Here's the gist:

• If they require it (and you won't use it elsewhere) — they should pay.
• If it's a tool you'll use across clients — it's likely worth investing in yourself.
• Always agree on who owns the content created in that software!

A quick listen while you make a cuppa ☕

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This week on The Freelancer's Tea Break, I'm sharing 3 ADHD-friendly time hacks that actually work (and honestly, they'll help anyone feeling frazzled right now): 🧠 Don't just read and leave, read and schedule! ⏳ Stop giving yourself all day! Shorter time blocks = more done 👯‍♀️ Body doubling + accountability = focus magic Perfect listen while you make a cuppa.

Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to The Freelancers Tea Break 00:20 Introduction to ADHD Time Hacks 00:50 Tip 1: Don't Read and Leave, Read and Schedule 02:59 Tip 2: Don't Allow Too Much Time 04:56 Tip 3: Body Doubling and Accountability 06:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Affiliate link from episode: Sunsama

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As freelancers, we want to help our clients succeed - but where's the line between great service and doing too much?

In this week's episode of The Freelancer's Tea Break, I'm chatting about: ☕ Setting healthy boundaries (and sticking to them!) 📋 Onboarding with clear expectations 🔁 Regular check-ins to keep things on track You can't fix your client's whole business — and you shouldn't have to! Listen while you make a cuppa 👉 #FreelanceLife #FreelanceTips #Boundaries #ClientManagement #TheFreelancersTeaBreak

Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to The Freelancers Tea Break 00:09 The Grey Area of Client Responsibility 02:38 Setting Boundaries as a Freelancer 04:23 Onboarding with Clear Expectations 06:56 Regular Check-ins and Reviews 08:42 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

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In this bite-sized episode of The Freelancers Tea Break, we're tackling one of the biggest freelance icks: when a client says, "You're too expensive." Emma shares a viral LinkedIn post exploring why that phrase hits differently, and how a simple shift in language can change the entire dynamic. It's not about your rates being too high; it's about whether they value your work.

Tune in for a quick pep talk on pricing confidence, boundary-setting, and why the best clients respect your worth.

Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:49 Why the phrase "you're too expensive" resonates with so many freelancers 1:33 Exploring the impact of client language and how it can feel devaluing 2:20 How Language Affects Client Relationship 3:29 Warning About Difficult Clients and Final Thought

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